Impression transferring apparatus



Nov. 14, 1933. 5` VON WEBERN 1,934,751

IMPRESSION TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1931 Patented Nov. i4, i933 ui'lED STATES PATE 1,934,751 IMPRESSION TRNSFERRDIG APPARATUS Application June 19, 193i. Serial No. 5ll5,ti32` l Claims. (Cl. ill-67.8)

Thisinvention relates to an apparatus for use in the reproduction of designs, and more especially to a transfer roll for use in reproducing artistic designs and simulating wood graining or the like upon curvilinear surfaces, such as metal,

composition board, wood or the like.

In the process of reproduction of artistic designs, such as simulating wood graining on metal or other surfaces, the design is first formed upon the surface of a plate. Such design is preferably made by a suitable photogravure process and transferred to the plate by etching or some similar method. After the plate has been formed, it is covered with ink, paint, varnish or other colorbearing material, which, for ease of description,

will hereinafter be termed ink, After the ink has been distributed over the plate, it is wiped off the top surface by a suitable wiper or doctor blade, leaving the depressions or etched portions of the plate lled with ink. A transfer roll having a surface of impression receiving material is then passed over the plate and the design. or ink, in the depression adheres to the roll. The transfer roll is then passed over a specially prepared surface, and the design -is transferred from the roll to such surface. The transfer roll generally comprises a wood or metallic shaft or bar, upon which a composition material is cast or molded.

The composition material, for some purposes,

30. comprises a compound, containing glue or gelatin and glycerin or some other hydroscopic material. However, soft vulcanized rubber or a vulcanized oil is sometimes utilized for such purposes.

In the past, the composition material has been secured to a rigid shaft, and hence it has been difficult to grain or transfer a design from the roll to curvilinear surfaces, such as toilet seats and other articles, where the surface curve is too great for the use of an ordinary roll. While these composition rolls were comparatively soft, still the degree of softness is limited to prevent the roll from cwing or changing its shape. The degree of pressure permissible for the application of the transfer roll to the article, is likewise limited to prevent the ink from spreading, thereby creating a blur or otherwise obliterating the design.

Hence, while the transfer rolls used in the past,

because of the softness of the composition material, were applicable to surfaces having slight irregularities therein, they, nevertheless, were limited for use with substantially nat objects.

The general object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a transfer roll for use in the transferring of designs, a simulated wood grain to objects having curved surfaces wherein the surface curve is too great for the design to be applied by means of the ordinary roll.

A further object is to provide a transfer roll to transfer a design such as simulated wood grain to curved surfaces, such as toilet seats, and transso fer the design to such surface with a minimum amount of contact pressure, thereby resulting in a minimum distortion of the design.

Further 'objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description, referring to a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, and the essential characteristics will be brought out in the claims.

Referring again to the drawing, Fig. I is a longitudinal section through my improved roll; Fig. 2 is an elevation partly broken away, and illustrates my improved roll in use; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the manner in which the design is transferred onto my improved roll.

Referring again to the drawing, it will be noted from Fig. 3 that I contemplate transferring a design or pattern from a suitable plate to my improved roll in the same manner as has been done in the past. A specially prepared plate 10, which has previously been etched, is covered with ink, and the surface scraped, leaving inl: in the etched or recessed portions of the plate. My improved roll 15 is then passed over the surface of the plate, thereby transferring the ink or design from the plate tothe roll. IThereafter, as shown in Fig. 2, my improved roll, which, as `Will be noted, has a flexible core, is wrapped around the curved surface 16 of the work 17, and rolled along 'such surface, thereby transferring the design from the roll to the surface.

I provide my improved roll with a flexible core,` which has suflicient rigidity to maintain the surface of the roll substantially uniform, and prevent disintegration of the composition coating of the roll. This iiexible core'comprises a substantially continuous wire spring 20, which is helically wound in the form of a tube, and is preferably covered with a coating of rubber 21, which, in turn, is wrapped with cord or string, as indicated at 22 in Figs. 1 and 2, the cord adhering to the rubber and forming a surface to which the composition covering will readily adhere.

Suitable compositionstock 23 is then wrapped around or molded on the core 20. This stock is preferably a composition of glue or gelatin, with glycerin or some other hydroscopic material. However, I contemplate that this material may be of soft vulcanized rubber or oil or any other suitable composition having the characteristics which make it suiciently soft and resilient to pick- 110 up the inked design from the plate 10, and which has sufficient fibrous strength to prevent the disintegration or flowing of the composition, resulting in the roll becoming flattened or otherwise losing its shape.

To prevent longitudinal stretching of the core, and likewise the composition material, I provide a tie member 25, which, as shown, comprises a chain or flexible cable 26, having its opposite ends pivotally secured, as at 27, to bushing members 28 and 29 respectively. The bushings 28 and 29 are journalled in opposite ends of the spring tube 20, and are provided with shoulders 30, which abut the outer ends or faces of the tube 20, and serve to maintain the distance between the ends of the tube substantially constant. To facilitate the assembly of the tie member 25, I prefer to pivot one end of the chain 26 to a block 31, integrally formed at one end of a rod 32, which passes axially through the bushing member 29, and is secured in place thereto by means of suitable nuts 32, adapted to engage the threaded outer end 33 of the rod and the bushing 29.

The form of roll illustrated in the drawing is especially adapted for manual use. I therefore provide bushings 28 and 29 with outwardly eX-. tending portions 40, to carry suitable handles 41.

- Rotatably carried by suitable rollers or ball-bearings 42, mounted on outwardly extending portions 40 of each bushing 28 and 29, are suitable hand grips or handles 43, which are held in place by washers 44, one of which is secured to the bushings 28 by means of a set screw 45, the other of which is secured in place by means of the locking nut 32, heretofore mentioned. Hence, when the operator moves the roll over the work the entire roll structure, including the tie rod 25 and the bushings 28 and 29, are permitted. to rotate in the handles 43, thereby preventing the twisting of the tie rod 25 and facilitating the rolling operation.

It will be noted from the drawing that I have wound the helical spring or tube 25 tight to maintain the length of the tube adiacent the contacting surface of the roll, substantially the same, regardless of whether the roll is in a at or curved position. By so doing, I decrease the distortion of the contacting surface of the roll, as the roll is in compression, when used as shown in Fig. 2, from the lower surface of the core 20 to the line of contact with the work and not from the center line of the roll, as would be the case if the spring 25 were loosely wound. The tube or core 20 is of sufficient diameter to permit the flexible tie member 25 to drop from the center thereof to take care of the increased length of the center line of the tube. This, it has been found, greatly enhances the results that may be accomplished by the use of mv improved roll.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a transfer roll for the transferring of ink or other color-bearing materials from an etched plate to a specially prepared surface, which surface may be curved, the degree of the curve too great for the transfer to be made by using the ordinary rolls. I have also provided a roll having a flexible core, wherein there is a minimum amount of 'distortion of the outer surface of the roll, and which roll may readily and easily be used by the operator to grain or transfer a design to surfaces which rendered the use of former rolls impractical.

I claim:

1. A transfer roller, comprising a flexible, tubular core, flexible means within the core to space the ends thereof, a resilient impression-receiving material covering said core, and wherein the core and covering may ex as a unit to bring the periphery of the roller in contact with a curvilinear surface.

2. A transfer roll, comprising a ilexible core, comprising a helically wound wire spring covered with a coating of impression-receiving material, means to space the ends of the core to prevent it stretching along the line nearest to the line of contact of the roller with the work.

3. In a transfer roll, a core comprising a helical wound wire spring, a coating of rubber surrounding the spring, a layer of cord adhering to and Wrapped around said rubber coating, a comparatively thick layer of impression-receiving material around said core and adhering to the cord, and exible means to limit the longitudinal expansion of the core.

4. A transfer roll, a core comprising a helical wound wire spring, a coating of rubber surrounding the spring, a layer of cord adheringto and wrapped around said rubber coating, a compara.- tively thick layer of impression-receiving material around said core and adhering to the cord, bushings carried by the respective ends of the core and having flanges adapted to embrace the ends of the wire spring, flexible means to limit the movement of the fianges from each other, said bushings having outwardly extending axial portions and gripping members journalled upon such extensions whereby the roll may be manually drawn across the work.

5. A exible transfer roller, comprising an axially stretchable and flexible core covered with a coating of flexible impression receiving material, and means to limit the longitudinal stretching of the core without preventing the exing of the roll as a unit.

6. A flexible transfer roller, comprising an axially stretchable and flexible hollow core covered with a coating of impression-receiving material, and means within said core to limit the longitudinal stretching of the core, while permitting the fiexing of the roll.

7. A flexible transfer roller, comprising a hollow exible and longitudinally stretchable core covered with a coating of flexible impression-receiving material, means to prevent excessive longitudinal stretching of the core and wherein said last named means is arranged to permit the roller tc flex as a unit to bring the periphery of the roller into contact with a curvilinear surface.

8. A flexible transfer roller comprising a hollow flexible and axially stretchable core covered with a coating of impression receiving material, and a flexible but non-stretchable member arranged within the core to prevent excessive stretching of the roll while permitting the roll to ex as a unit.

9. A fiexible transfer roller comprising a hollow flexible core covered with a coating of flexible material, and a flexible but non-stretchable member positioned within said core to limit the flexing of the roller.

10. A iiexible transfer roller comprising a hollow flexible core covered with a coating of flexible material, means within said core and universally connected to opposite 'ends thereof, to permit flexing of the roll between predetermined limits only.

GUIDO von WEBERN. 

